DECEMBER 1990 One Hundred and Ten Years
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PJJJM I: W N O V E M B E R - D E C E M B E R 1990 One hundred and ten years 1990 WILL BE REMEMBERED AS AN EVENTFUL YEAR. OUR FOCUS OF ATTENTION HAS BEEN DIRECTED TO ••A QUESTIONING OUR CULTURE. IDENTITY, HISTORY, CSA GALLERY ECONOMY, POLITICS AND FUTURE. THESE QUESTIONS AND A MULTIPLICITY OF VIEWPOINTS WERE THERE The Journal of the BEFORE 1990 AND WILL CONTINUE. THAT'S OBVIOUS, Canterbury Society BUT THE FOCUS EMPHASISED BY MASS MEDIA, of Arts 66 Gloucester "MAGIC MINUTES", "THE ISSUES", FORUMS, GAMES Street AND SO ON HEIGHTENS OUR SELF AWARENESS. IT Christchurch PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT, WANTED OR Phone (03) 667 261, NOT (A BIT LIKE THE MORNING AFTER THE 40TH (03) 667 167 Fax (03) 667 167 BIRTHDAY PARTY) ON WHO Wc ARE, AND WHY. FOR THIS ISSUE OF PREVIEW WE HAVE BEEN DELVING Gallery Hours INTO OUR SCRAPBOOKS TO PRESENT A BIRTHDAY Monday - Saturday 10am - 4.30pm ISSUE, THE CSA IS 110 YEARS OLD. WE HAVEN'T Sunday 2pm - ATTEMPTED TO WRITE A HISTORY OR ANALYSIS, ITS A 4.30pm COMPILATION OF IMPRESSIONS. IF YOU WANT AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF 100 YEARS OF THE CSA LOOK TO OUR HISTORY AVAILABLE FROM THE GAL- DIRECTOR'S THE TENDENCY HAS BEEN TO LOOK AT CON TROVERSIES, PERSONALITIES, ART, POLITICS AND COMEDY IN MORE RECENT YEARS. WE SOUGHT ANEC DOTES AND REMINISCENCES AND UNEARTHED PEREN NIAL ISSUES SUCH AS A NEW ART GALLERY FOR CHRISTCHURCH. WHILE ON THAT ONE CHRIST CHURCH MUST PROCEED WITH A NEW ART GALLERY AS SOON AS IS POSSIBLE. CHRISTCHURCH HAS GOT BEHIND MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS BEFORE SUCH AS QEII STADIUM AND THE REPORT TOWN HALL THAT HAVE GIVEN IDENTITY TO THE CITY. SO TOO, CAN A NEW ART GALLERY THAT WILL EMPHASISE EASE OF ACCESS TO THE VISUAL ARTS WITHOUT COMPROMISING PRO FESSIONAL AND MUSEOLOGICAL STANDARDS. WITH ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT AND VISION CHRIST CHURCH CAN HAVE A GALLERY THAT WILL STIMULATE ECONOMIC GROWTH BY ATTRACTING BUSINESS AND SKILLED PEOPLE (AND RETAINING THEM) TO A CITY WITH A BELIEF IN ITS FUTURE AND A COGENT EXPRESS ION OF ITS CULTURE. ENJOY THIS ISSUE OF PREVIEW HOPEFULLY AS MUCH AS WE DID PUTTING IT TOGETHER, ALSO REFLECTING ON WHAT ISSUE 300 MAY CONTAIN. HOPEFULLY SOMETHING MAY REMAIN Cover: Gallery Staff CONSTANT AND REMINDS ME OF WHAT ART CRITIC Photo Peter Bannan HAROLD ROSENBERG WHO WROTE FOR THE 'NEW YORKER' HAD SAID TO CALVIN TOMKINS WHO TOOK C.S.A Preview is registered OVER ROSENBERG'S COLUMN TWO YEARS AFTER HIS at New Zealand SUDDEN DEATH IN 1978: Post Office Headquarters Wellington as a magazine. "REMEMBER, THE ART WORLD IS A COMEDY". ANDREW DRUMMOND Views of an artwork using performance process which would give a visual narrative to and a performance in a court room. the performance. These photos would later be confiscated by the police, destroying the In 1977 when completeness of the work. I was asked Central to all this was to be my nakedness. to make a Firstly I saw that by being stretched naked and LOOKING work for the splayed I would be in a vulnerable and 'Platforms' exhibition supplicant position. This was misread by the organised by Martin complainants as lewd and anti-Christian. The Mendelsberg and John nakedness would, I though bring into the open Cousins for the Christchurch misconceptions associated with the crucifixion BACK Arts Festival show at and practically allow me to casttheskin. Later the CSA. I remember in court the art historical facts relating to seeing immediate nakedness and the crucifixion were to play an possibilities with the important role in my defence. X cross platform. I set The performance took place in a back TO THEabou t preparing a room upstairs at the CSA on a Sunday work using this afternoon and was attended by around 50 people. During the performance I seem to remember it being a rather hushed and CRUCIFIXION attentive crowd somewhat, I suppose, involved in this quiet slow drama. Nicholas Still acted as platform and integrating some of the relevant my assistant, applying the rubber latex to my issues in my practice, namely the use of skin, torso. Dr. Carol Miles acted as the technical in this case rubber latex, and ideas relating assistant, monitoring the ECG.Paul Jones docu to the spirituality of the crucifixion. mented proceedings using a polaroid camera. I made some decisions which were to The performance become contentious lasted about an hour in another context and at the end I but generally the ripped the skin from work was going to my body, unhooked consist of me using the ECG and left the my body to casta room to prepare for skin of rubber latex my trip home to while lashed naked Wellington. Some to the cross and to be days laterwhen I was linked to an ECG preparing to depart monitor which would for a show in relay my physical Australia I was condition to the notified that the audience. I was police had seized the hoping that by using polaroids from show the anxiety caused by attheCSAand had my physical laid charges against condition and ideas thegallery for of meditation and displaying offensive bio-feedback that I material. Also, and could use the process more immediate for of creating a skin to me was that the police be dramatised on the were about to lay video ECG image. charges against me This also provided for acting offensively the life linktothe in a public place. second part of the work which was to be the residue, the artefact — a latex skin. I immediately left the country so as to fulfil After casting the skin and shedding it I my obligations in Australia and to give myself planned to leave it on the cross with an timetothinkthisthrough. Surely in 1978this electronic beeper, giving a 78 per minute beat, couldn't happen? Well it could and still is suggesting that life was still ongoing. I also happening to artists who dare to challenge the planned to leave photo documentation of the status quo. ENLIGHTENMENT IS ILLUSIVE J* X0. • she duly read to the court. Somehow her 9gf> position, manner and attitude changed a rather sour course of \ events and injected into ' the proceedings a semb- lanceofquiet academia. The magistrate however, was not to be without his day and adjourned the case with a reserved decision. Two weeks later his decision was given in fourteen pages of summation in which he provided an insight into the nature of the judiciary. He found the work to be, in his opinion, crude, immoral, offensive and in bad taste; and dismissed the case against me, reflecting the double standards practised throughout society. ILLUSIVE IS ENLIGHTENMENT The second crucifixion was to be played out in the District Court in Wellington some months later. The QEII Arts Council had provided me with counsel and were paying the bills of what was a test case for a visual artist in New Zealand. The charges againstthe CSA were to be delayed pending the outcome of my trial. The pressure was on in more ways than one. Somehow I had to get the complainants to see thatthey had misread the situation and then over-reacted. They were young, born again Christians and could only seethe nakedness and totally ignored the notion of thecrucifixion and its meaning to them! Then I had to convince the magistrate that I was serious in my endeavour and not in the slightest bit in awe of his power. The drama unfolded slowly and my attitude of contempt towards the duality of standards did not endear me to either the magistrate or my counsel. The mould had been cast and there was to be no change. Various peoplefrom both sides took the stand to explain my actions. A memorable witness was Janet Geddes, a curatorial researcher from the National Art ANDREW DRUMMOND Gallery. She had prepared a short essay on the history of thecrucifixion and nakedness which SEPTEMBER 1990 Zealand to take up farming instead of medicine owning property near Lake Te Anau and later near Kaikoura. In thex Second World War he served 1961 the 6th Independent Mounted Rifle Squadron and then in Tonga. C.S.A. As an amateur painter Rusty met Yvonne Rust BARBARA AND who conducted classes for adult education and also attended the School of Fine Arts part time ANDRE BROOKE where he was tutored by Rudi Gopas, Jack Knight and W A Sutton. As lively and enthusiastic supporters of the visual arts in Canterbury, Barbara and Andre Brooke Rusty spoke positively of the minimal CSA ran the first Christchurch dealer gallery in Cashel staff and has affection and gratitude for the then Street in 1959. Their intention was to promote the Treasurer, Malcolm Ott. Leaving the CSA on his more original artists of the day and introduce new eightieth birthday Rusty made the following young talents, but unfortunately 'Gallery 91' statment in the gallery newsletter which still holds lasted only eleven months. for today. This venture was followed by Andre's brief 'I feel the CSA is pursuing its right and proper term as secretary of the Canterbury Society of Arts policy in encouraging debutant(e)s to have ex which Barbara took over in 1 961. During her four hibitions and in showing also the work of year term in this position prolonged discussions established artists and in providing a platform for were undertaken to design and build a new young musicians'. gallery in Gloucester Street. With a strong interest in local body affairs Barbara went on to become a member of the Christchurch Transport Board and whilst at the Caxton Press in the late 1960s became co-editor of 'Ascent', a journal the arts, For five years^fl before her untimely death in .1980 she established with Judith Gifford the Brooke/ Gifford Gallery continuing her drive to build bridges between artists and the public.